S9E6 What does meaningful parent partnership look like when it's working? In the Season 9 finale of Living Lovett, host Jessica Sant sits down with Lovett Parent Association (LPA) co-presidents Alice Sheets and Malvika Jhangiani: two busy parents who will tell you that saying yes before you're ready turned out to be one of the best decisions they made.

Alice and Malvika reflect on what surprised them most about leading the LPA, how CliftonStrengths gave them a common language before they'd spent a single hour working together, and how practicing difficult conversations shaped the way they showed up all year long. They talk about what it meant to put their names on Lovett's first-ever parent engagement survey, the listening sessions happening across campus this spring, and why they believe the most powerful thing a parent can do is both make their voice heard and trust the process.

They also have a message for every Lovett parent who's been on the fence about getting involved but maybe thought they were too busy or weren't sure their skills could be useful.

More about Lovett Parent Engagement here: https://www.lovett.org/community/parent-engagement

Living Lovett is the award nominated podcast hosted by Jessica Sant. Find Living Lovett on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Visit The Lovett School website Lovett.org for more information. Lovett is on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email host Jessica Sant.

S9E5 What would it mean for every person on a school campus—the teacher, the department chair, the custodian, the grounds crew—to end the year knowing that someone truly saw them? Not through a trinket or a mass email, but something personal, specific, and lasting. It turns out the answer might be as simple as a handwritten note—and at Lovett, a team of colleagues decided to find out.

In this episode of Living Lovett, host Jessica Sant sits down with Vanessa Boone, K–5 Design and Engineering teacher in the Lower School Innovation Lab, and Dr. Lindsay Samson, Middle School Department Chair for World Languages, who together co-chair Lovett's 26-person Employee Engagement Working Team. This year, that team set out to answer a question many organizations never think to ask: How do our people actually want to be recognized? They surveyed the community, dug into the data, and built something real around what they found.

You'll hear Vanessa and Lindsay unpack the meaningful difference between recognition and reward, what surprised them in the pulse survey results, and how a brainstormed idea became a schoolwide campaign connecting parents, faculty, and staff. This episode brings home how recognition and engagement help make Lovett the place that it is.

Living Lovett is the award nominated podcast hosted by Jessica Sant. Find Living Lovett on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Visit The Lovett School website Lovett.org for more information. Lovett is on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email host Jessica Sant.

S9E4 What does it look like when a leader pours herself fully into a place — and leaves it fundamentally better than she found it? In this episode of Living Lovett, Jessica Sant sits down with Associate Head of School Chelle Wabrek to celebrate seven years of growth, impact, and deep investment in The Lovett School community.

Chelle reflects on what drew her to Lovett, what she learned about herself through unexpected leadership roles, and why she believes the most important thing a leader can do is slow down and have more conversations. She shares how working alongside Head of School Meredyth Cole shaped her approach to leadership, what it has meant to teach seniors in the Ethical Leadership class, and how her time here has prepared her to step into her new role as Head of School at Mary Institute and Country Day School in St. Louis.

Listen to Ethical Leadership students Will and Ford on Living Lovett here: https://sites.libsyn.com/401270/site/finding-their-voices-two-lovett-seniors-on-trust-freedom-and-leading-with-integrity

Living Lovett is the award nominated podcast hosted by Jessica Sant. Find Living Lovett on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Visit The Lovett School website Lovett.org for more information. Lovett is on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email host Jessica Sant.

S9E3 What does it take to lead when the path forward isn't what you planned? In this episode of Living Lovett, Josh Moore '15 shares his journey from Lovett student to serving as President of the Black Alumni Council and being an Account Manager at Lockton Companies—a path shaped by unexpected setbacks, bold choices, and the confidence to say yes even when he wasn't sure he was ready.

Host Jessica Sant sits down with Josh to explore how his Lovett experience prepared him not just academically, but with the mindset that helped him navigate new communities, lead teams, and ultimately find his way back to serve the school that shaped him. Josh also reflects on his decision to attend Hampton University, an HBCU, and how that experience deepened his understanding of himself and what it means to lead.

This episode not only contains lessons for current Lovett students about finding and fulfilling opportunities to lead, but what it's like to stay connected to the Lovett community a decade on and how a Lovett education can impact a person throughout their life.

Learn more about Alumni activities at Lovett: https://www.lovett.org/alumni

Living Lovett is the award nominated podcast hosted by Jessica Sant. Find Living Lovett on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Visit The Lovett School website Lovett.org for more information. Lovett is on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email host Jessica Sant.

S9E2 What happens when you remove the performance pressure and simply let two students explore each other's leadership journeys? In this episode of Living Lovett, you'll hear something different—seniors Will Byrne and Ford Tedder interview each other as part of their Ethical Leadership class, an assignment that asks them to reflect on their values, struggles, and growth as leaders.

Host Jessica Sant sets the stage by talking with both students about the Ethical Leadership class—a distinctive senior course facilitated by Lovett Head of School Meredyth Cole, Associate Head Chelle Wabrek, and Coach Orien Harris. Then the conversation shifts to Will and Ford as they take turns interviewing each other, unscripted and unpolished.

You'll hear Will and Ford explore what it means to lead by example rather than by volume, the power of improvisation in jazz and in life, and the profound lessons they both have learned across their time at Lovett. Will shares his journey of discovering faith at Lovett and becoming a section leader in the rhythm section of Ellington Jazz Ensemble. Ford reflects on his path from quiet presence to head swim captain and inaugural varsity water polo state champion.

Their honest conversation about struggle, growth, and whole child education offers a window into how Lovett develops young leaders—not through lectures, but through lived experience, meaningful dialogue, and the freedom to become their full selves. Stay until the end to hear both students answer the question we ask every guest: What does Living Lovett mean to you?

Living Lovett is the award nominated podcast hosted by Jessica Sant. Find Living Lovett on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Visit The Lovett School website Lovett.org for more information. Lovett is on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email host Jessica Sant.

S9E1 Curious about what really happens behind the scenes in Lovett's admission process? In this Season 9 premiere of Living Lovett, you'll hear directly from the people who welcome families into our community every day: Dr. Tim Pitchford (Senior Director of Admission and Financial Aid), Virginia French (Lower School Associate Director), Jack Parrish (Middle School Associate Director), and Carolina Clark (Admissions Associate).

As the application deadline approaches, host Jessica Sant sits down with the entire team to explore the questions families are asking—from what matters most in an application to how Lovett's whole child approach shows up from the very first interaction. They share what makes Lovett's process distinctive: a genuine commitment to knowing each child and family beyond test scores and transcripts, looking for consistency across every element of the application rather than isolated moments in time.

You'll hear about the professionals who choose to work with middle schoolers because they love that age, the power of having educators leading admission conversations, and what Virginia, a Lovett lifer, means when she says this place "shines brightest when things are hard." Regardless of where your Lovett journey may be starting, this conversation offers an honest look at how we welcome families—and why being seen, known, and loved from the moment you step on campus isn't just a tagline, but a lived experience.

Learn more about Admission at Lovett here: https://www.lovett.org/admission

Living Lovett is the award nominated podcast hosted by Jessica Sant. Find Living Lovett on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Visit The Lovett School website Lovett.org for more information. Lovett is on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email host Jessica Sant.

S8E9 One value, dignity, has the capacity to build bridges during disputes, build stronger communities, and honor other human beings. The power of dignity is what brings Donna Hicks, PhD to this season finale of Living Lovett. Dr. Hicks is an expert in international conflict resolution, and discusses with host Jessica Sant the profound role of dignity in resolving conflicts and building stronger communities. Drawing from her global experience and her influential books, Dr. Hicks explains how dignity is an inherent human value that, when upheld, can heal divisions and foster growth, especially in educational settings.

Dr. Hicks shares stories of teaching dignity to children, the importance of recognizing and addressing dignity violations, and the distinction between dignity and respect. The conversation highlights practical strategies for parents, educators, and leaders to create cultures of recognition and compassion, emphasizing that dignity work is a slow, ongoing process that requires presence, self-reflection, and a commitment to higher ground.

More about Donna Hicks, PhD: https://drdonnahicks.com/

Discover Dr. Hicks' books: https://drdonnahicks.com/#books

We thank you for the incredible feedback from this season of Living Lovett. Planning is already underway for our next season. Stay tuned! Listen to award nominated podcast Living Lovett on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Visit The Lovett School website Lovett.org for more information. Lovett is on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email host Jessica Sant.

S8E8 How does the parent perspective fit in with The Lovett School's partnership with Challenge Success? Three parent leaders join Living Lovett host and Chief Engagement Officer Jessica Sant to discuss their experience volunteering for the Challenge Success initiative, and the importance of community, intentionality, and partnership between families and the school. Christopher Cooper, Bliss Stone, and Aimee Connolly have a variety of relationships with Lovett: they are parents of grads, and current students; one is even an alumnae and trustee. Regardless of how many ties they have to Lovett, each parent is committed to Lovett serving students in the best way possible for generations to come.

If you are interested in how much impact parents have on how Lovett approaches whole child education and how Lovett is delivering on its values, this episode is for you.

Mentioned on the episode: Listen to some student participants of Challenge Success, including the "I Wish" exercise: https://sites.libsyn.com/401270/the-students-of-challenge-success-at-lovett

Listen to award nominated podcast Living Lovett on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Visit The Lovett School website Lovett.org for more information. Lovett is on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Questions? Comments? Episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email host Jessica Sant.